Shoe-fastener.



c. MCHANNAN.

snos FASTENER. APPLICATION FILED AUG-5| 1916.

mama W. 20, m

CHLES B. MUHANNAN, OI INGTON, MASSACHUSETEfi.

SHQE-FASTENEE.

specification of letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 29, 1911 "7..

Application filed August 5, 1916. Serial No. 118,297.

-new and useful Improvementsjin Shoe-Faertoners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in shoes and has to do more particularly in providin fastening means for the Blucher type of s oes in place of shoe lacings or the method of buttoning so commonly employed.

The object of the invention'is to provide means preferably constructed of soft, flexible or elastic material adapted to be placed across the opening in the shoe upper and to be secured to opposite edges of said opening by suitable fasteners.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a section takenon the line 22 of Fig. 1, illustrating one form of fastener which may be employed.

Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 2 illustrating the flexible or elastic material secured to the sides of the shoe upper by means of buttons.

Fig. 4 is a section similar to Figs. 2 and 3, illustrating the elastic material attached to the shoe in the form of a tongue.

Like numerals refer to like partsthroughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, 5 is a shoe known to those skilled in the art as the Blucher shoe and comprising an upper 6 having an opening'7, in the present instance at the front of said upper, said openin being made in the usual form adapted to opened so as to permit the shoe to be put on and taken 0%. The shoe shown is constructed substantially the same as'the ordinary lace shoe is constructed, having a tongue 8 arranged within and extending across from opposite edlggs 9, 9 of said upper in the usual manner. e portions of the shoe upper along the edges 9, 9 of the Blucher type of shoe are left free, that is" to say, the lower ends of the edges 9, 9 are not connected directly together but the free edges thereof are stitched along the lines 11, 11, as shown in Fig. 1, these rows of stitches being at a substantial distance from the edges 9, 9 and nearly parallel therewith, thereby permitting considerable movement of the edges 9, 9 toward and away from each other to conform more readily to difi'erent sizes of instep. The preferred form of the invention embodies an elastic member 10 constructed of woven fabric with strips of elastic interwoven with the fabric transversely of said fabric.

The opposite edges 11, 11 of said elastic fabric are secured to the opposite edges 9, 9 of said upper 6 by suitable fasteners, such, for instance, as sna fasteners 12, 12, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, ortions. of which are secured to the opposite sides of the member 10 and the other portions are secured to the opposite edges 9 of the shoe upper.

If desired, the elastic member 10 may be secured by other fastening means, such, for instance, as illustrated in Fig. 3. In this form the edges 9 are provided with button holes 13, 13 while buttons 14 are attached to the opposite edges of the elastic member 10'. In the forms just described the elastic member 10 is preferably made separate from the shoe and of the proper shape to fit the foot and when so constructed diderent widths may be provided to accommodate different sizes of ankles. When elastic material, such as that hereinbefore mentioned, is employed it is necessary that stay strips of some stronger material such as leather be arranged along the rear edges therein as at 15 in Fig. 2 and 16, 16 in Fig. 3, so as to prevent the fasteners from pulling out of.

%t has been stated that the preferred materialemployed for connecting the opposite edges of the upper together is elastic material,and thisis true, although the invention is not necessarily limited to such mate rial for the reason that any suitable flexible Q neeaese material, such as soft leather or like substances may be employed with goo results Having thus specifically described my invention what I claim anci iesire by Letters Patent to secure is:

1. The combination with a Blueher" shoe, of an elastic member arranged Within said shoe across the opening thereof, and means constructed and arranged to detachably secure opposite edges of said elastic member to opposite inner faces of said shoe upper.

2. The combination with a Blucher shoe, of an elastic member arranged across member to opposite inner faces of said free 20 ed es.

n testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand 1n presence of two subscribing witnesses. o

CHARLES B. McHANNAN. Witnesses:

Cmnms'S. Goonmc, SYDNEY E. Tm. I 

